Shinmaru

I feel bad that it had to come to this, but it's probably the best scenario to result from this mess. The fact that Microsoft isn't forcing EA/BioWare to charge for this DLC -- and they've been [i]really[/i] hardline about that -- speaks to what a crazy situation this is.

[quote name='Gavin' timestamp='1333151216' post='711145'] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Regarding the ending, I really suggest everyone watch the following Youtube video (it's over 20 minutes long but really worth it) and then decide what you think of it. [spoilerblock][/font] [center][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythY_GkEBck[/media][/center] [/spoilerblock] Of course the major problem with that is that it means [spoiler]we never actually got an ending, as logically the proper ending would take place after Shepard having fought off the effects of indoctrination and then getting to the Citadel and activating the Crucible proper. On the other hand, it's a massive feather in BioWare's storytelling cap to have been able to do something like that so subtly that 99% of people missed it (not that BioWare helped us by making it seem like it was the ending).[/spoiler] [/quote] I've read up a bit more on that theory ... it's definitely interesting and would explain a lot about the ending, but not everything. (Is the whole point of showing the Illusive Man's behavior throughout the game just to feed into this [spoiler]Reaper-induced vision[/spoiler] at the end?) And as you write, a major flaw is that there is no real ending with this theory in mind ... it's not really the type of event that [i]should[/i] be the ending in that case. Of course, it hasn't been proved by any stretch that this theory is accurate (there are rumblings here and there that it isn't the ending BioWare had in mind, though of course they could change their minds along the way).

Watched the first episode of [b]Space Brothers[/b] today. I'm digging it. Has a bit of a [b]Planetes[/b] vibe, but slightly less satirical and slightly more goofy, which is fine by me. I'm all in.

Not me. I thought it was a great ending, and I hope there's never, ever another episode of [b]Panty and Stocking[/b]. Troll on, Gainax. Troll on. (P.S. Nice avatar!)

All right, so I finished [b]Mass Effect 3[/b] yesterday. I'm down with the spirit of the ending, if not so much the execution. [spoiler]I thought the **** with the little kid was terrible throughout the game, and seeing the kid representing the Catalyst is a facepalm moment. I agree with others who have suggested that the squadmate who dies on Virmire would have been a much better choice for that stuff. I don't really like Kaidan or Ashley at all, but they would at least represent a more personal connection for Shepard. And wouldn't that person's death haunt Shepard much more than some kid? The BioWare writers do such a great job of hitting emotion hard throughout the game that the kid stuff sticks out as being not so great. And though there are a few hints about this path throughout the game -- the most obvious and heavy-handed being on Thessia -- the whole deal with the Catalyst is still a [i]lot[/i] to take in with such little time to lay out everything. I don't think it's a terrible plot rush, actually; it's laid out as simply and clearly as possible. But it's a bit too deus ex machina for my taste. Still, I actually do dig this plot direction more than if the Crucible had merely been a superweapon capable of destroying the Reapers and bringing about a Happy End. You [i]can[/i] do that if you choose, but there are other options. (Personally, I chose to integrate organics and synthetics.) I also wish there were a bit more closure with your other squadmates. Presumably everyone survives, but mostly I'm just worried about Garrus, because he's been my boy throughout the whole series! The one complaint I don't really agree with is about the ending not reflecting your choices. It totally does in the way that [i]all[/i] [b]Mass Effect[/b] endings have reflected the player's choices. In the first game, your choices could cause Saren to kill himself. In the second game, your choices affect whether your squad lives or dies. In the third game, your choices could cause the Illusive Man to kill himself. The major story beats, though? Always the same, no matter what your choices are. There may be a few differences in how they play out, but they're largely the same. Complaining about how choice doesn't play enough of a part in the finale completely ignores how the plots of [b]Mass Effect[/b] have been built from the beginning.[/spoiler] Whew, that's a lot! Final word: I don't think the ending is perfect, but it's certainly not bad enough to ruin what has been a fantastic ride for me. I liked [b]Mass Effect[/b] and loved the second and third iterations of the series. The battles are great fun, the characters are awesome, the emotion is there, and on and on. This is an excellent conclusion to Shepard's story, and the ending actually has me [i]really[/i] interested in how BioWare would continue the series, since they've shown obvious interest in doing so, and EA obviously can't turn away from an opportunity to squeeze more money out of gamers.

[quote name='Boo' timestamp='1332953517' post='711104'] See?! The emotional engagement building up to and in this game is insane. This was the first of the three games where I was really, passionately hating characters (except for ****ing Zaeed, that incredible ****) or almost crying about other stuff. :'( Shinmaru: [spoiler]I was really happy with the Ranoch outcome I had. What did you choose? (I'll extra spoiler alert the next part in case James accidentally reads this)[/spoiler] Extra MASS SPOILER: [spoilerblock]I wouldn't have been able to bear finishing the game if I had Tali jump off a cliff in case you let Legon upload and the Fleet attack them. [/spoilerblock] [/quote] HUGE [B]MASS EFFECT[/B] SPOILERS FOR SERIOUS: [spoiler]I thought [i]really[/i] hard about it ... I'd been supporting the geth's right to get a second chance and become a positive, contributing group the entire game, and I trusted that I would have the option to make things right and let Legion upload. Thankfully, this is the first point in the game where all the Reputation points I earned came in handy, because I was able to convince the quarian fleet to back off and not attack the geth. I was SO ******* RELIEVED that I was able to get through that without dooming either race to extinction. Also LEGIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON *salutes*[/spoiler]

Wow, I still think the final assault on the Collector base in [b]Mass Effect 2[/b] is the most fun mission in terms of pure thrill (I loved sticking it to them with a superpowered group of badasses), but the mission on [spoiler]Rannoch[/spoiler], which I just finished last night, might be the best in terms of pure emotion. The feeling of going to that planet is crazy, the choice at the end is excruciating (I legit spent five minutes pondering over it), and the aftermath is insane to think about. Holy **** did I ever suck at fighting [spoiler]the Reaper[/spoiler], though. I went all the way through [spoiler]Thessia[/spoiler] and am bitterly cursing the name of Cerberus. I am looking forward to finally killing that Kai Leng asshole, and at some point I expect to confront the Illusive Man in person, and you can bet I will give him what for, that bastard.

[quote name='James' timestamp='1332833572' post='711046'] [font=palatino linotype]In any case, I haven't finished the game but I'm a bit sad that it's the "last Mass Effect" game. The story has never been particularly great, but I've become fond of the characters and the game world itself. This is one franchise where I'd be quite happy to see a second trilogy, I think.[/font] [/quote] Yeah, I'm not at the end yet, either (I'm going to continue playing again today, finally), but this is one reason why I don't see myself reacting as harshly as most to the ending, too. I don't think the story of either [b]Mass Effect[/b] (or this game) is great ... definitely good for video games, because the pacing (other than the first Citadel visit in the first game) is such that it makes you want to keep playing, but the plots are built on many familiar science-fiction beats. It's the characters and the superiority of the world building that draw me into the fiction, and that's (likely) something a bad ending can't ruin.

Been having some fun times doing a bit of streaming of my own! [url=http://www.twitch.tv/shinmaru007]My Twitch.tv account is right here[/url]. I've been streaming Friday evenings around 11 p.m. pacific time. Just a few minutes ago I finished [b]Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[/b], and next week I'll be starting a secret fun game that I've never played before! Hooray!

[b]Zelda[/b] taught me never, [i]ever[/i] to mess with chickens.

[quote name='Boo' timestamp='1332468722' post='710888'] Totally. [spoiler]Jack[/spoiler] was/is my love interest, and the dialogue resulting from that was great. Though she was the one character you didn't get to go all hanky-panky with. Garrus was definitely my favourite character again, especially after his squad mate quality time moment at the Citadel. [/quote] Ooh, yeah, that's something I should have mentioned -- the writers did an [i]excellent[/i] job of integrating the player's past choices into the dialogue. For instance, I had Wrex with me when I confronted the Rachni Queen in [b]Mass Effect[/b], and he brought that up when I talked to him in [b]Mass Effect 3[/b]. And during the Grissom Academy mission, [spoiler]Jack brought up that she had been the one to hold up the biotic force field during the seeker swarm portion of the suicide mission.[/spoiler] None of this stuff is forced at all, either; it's just nice, subtle inclusions of continuity that makes the world feel that much more alive, and it's something that [b]Mass Effect 3[/b] does a lot better than [b]Mass Effect 2[/b]. It's a touch I really appreciate from the writers. And, yes, [spoiler]Mordin. :( :( :([/spoiler]

So I'm still going through [b]Mass Effect 3[/b] while the Internet is EXPLODING WITH CONTROVERSY over the game's ending. I finished the Dreadnought mission last time I played, and from what people have told me, I'm around the 2/3 point of the game. I'm definitely enjoying it a lot right now, though there are some issues I have with it ... First off, the N7 missions are straight-up boring. They're multiplayer missions repackaged for single-player and take out basically every element I enjoy about the [b]Mass Effect[/b] missions. The battling is fine, but it's the battling working in combination with character interaction and story development that makes the [b]Mass Effect[/b] missions fun. I'm doing the N7 stuff mostly to build-up my War Assets and to get the achievement for beating them all. I'm also mixed on the integration of the [b]Mass Effect 2[/b] cast. I get [i]why[/i] they're incorporated the way they are -- BioWare wrote themselves into a corner with the suicide mission, and they wanted to keep the missions they had planned for the third game, but they also realized it would make no sense to have some doppelganger join you as a temporary squadmate if the character appearing in the mission died. Thus, the compromise you see in [b]Mass Effect 3[/b]. However, that doesn't mean it isn't lame to a certain degree. I wish there were a way to fight alongside those characters again. That said, I do think most of their appearances are appropriate. I especially enjoyed seeing [spoiler]Jack[/spoiler] during the Grissom Academy mission. Lastly, at least up to this point in the game, I think Paragon and Renegade choices have mattered very little. The points in the game where I've actually had to make some sort of Paragon or Renegade choice have felt minor, and because of that, there's been a bit less choice than before. It makes me not really care about the Paragon and Reputation points I've been collecting throughout the game. If they don't [i]do[/i] anything with them, then what's the point beyond gathering a few more War Assets? Again, though, I am liking the game a lot. It's been a solid challenge -- definitely tougher than the first two games. The action in the main missions has been a lot of fun, and I think the characters and story have been handled really well. I especially enjoy the alone time on the Citadel you get with your crewmates. Garrus' has been my favorite so far. He is still the greatest. And though I am ehhhhhhh on [spoiler]EDI becoming a squadmate[/spoiler], I can't deny that she is useful for me on the battlefield, particularly since I'm an Adept. Having a squadmate with Overload and Incinerate is pretty damn great. I'll probably finish within the next couple of weeks. All the rage has made me curious about the ending, but even if it ends in the shittiest way possible, I'll still like the game a lot overall and love the series. Whatever problems the trilogy may have, it has to be admitted that the sheer act of building this story somewhat coherently is a [i]huge[/i] accomplishment considering the sheer complexity of the project. It's mind-boggling.

I've hopped back into gaming in a huge way this year, and I've definitely had a lot of fun doing it. And there are plenty of you fine folks who still game, so let's talk about our favorite games of the year! Because I've been out of the loop for a while, I've spent a lot of my time catching up with great games of years past -- the [b]Mass Effect[/b] games, [b]Red Dead Redemption[/b]. [b]Portal[/b], and so on. But I have played a few games from the current year. First in my heart is definitely [b]Portal 2[/b]. It is basically my ideal of storytelling in gaming: Real time, totally immersive world, sharp writing, memorable characters. When I played [b]Portal 2[/b] I really felt as if I were [i]someplace[/i] rather than playing as a character in some world. The subtle tweaks in gameplay from the original and the new puzzle wrinkles are perfectly executed. I really wish the game could have gone on forever. A close second is [b]Saints Row: The Third[/b]. It's possibly the most ridiculous video game I've ever played, and I love it so very much. It's just a big, stupid pile of fun. I'm actually tempted to play through the game with the other character voices just to hear the subtle differences ... Other standout games I've played this year: [b]Ghost Trick[/b] is awesome. Good story, and the puzzles are interesting and well-executed. [b]Radiant Historia[/b] is a solid DS RPG. Playing through [b]Bastion[/b] and [b]Skyward Sword[/b] right now -- both are definitely fun.

Just started [b]Bastion[/b], which I downloaded off Xbox Live a while back. It's a pretty cool action-RPG. The battle mechanics are solid; the graphics are bright, colorful and distinctive; and each detail revealed has made me super curious about the world. There's also one aspect of the game that has received a lot of attention: The narrator. Basically you have another character in the game who narrates your actions as you do stuff around the world. If you're kicking ass with your hammer, he'll mention something about that; other times, if you're approaching danger, he'll warn that some serious **** is going down. It's a neat storytelling device that has made me really get into the game. Helps that the narrator is voiced by the same dude who voices Drebin in [b]Metal Gear Solid 4[/b] (always thought he had a cool voice). Definitely give this a look if you have a 360 and like RPGs. It's quite fun.

Just started [b]Skyward Sword[/b] yesterday and am outside the first temple right now. It's been enjoyable so far, but yes, that beginning portion is so god damned irritatingly slow. I think the low point for me is when that elder dude is like, "I NEED MY MEMORY JOGGED, SO FIND THREE OF MY FUZZY FRIENDS AND I WILL HELP YOU." I was like, "Really, you fuzzy asshole? I have to find three of your bastard friends, and then you'll help me out? Did Nintendo parachute you in from a Rare game?" Fetch quests, you are the bane of my existence! *shakes fist* I [i]have[/i] enjoyed what little combat I've engaged in so far, though. I do like that the game is obvious about what enemy's weaknesses are without straight up telling you, "HAY GUYS HERE IS THE ENEMY'S WEAK POINT, HAVE AT IT."

Finished both endings of [b]Saints Row: The Third[/b]. An utterly ridiculous game, but so much fun. I'm really impressed by how the game continually tops itself until the end -- it doesn't let silly things like "logic" get in the way, so if the game decides [spoiler]there is going to be a zombie invasion out of nowhere[/spoiler], then damn it, that's what will happen! I think my favorite mission is the fight against Killbane at Muderbrawl. I was a huge pro wrestling fan back in the day, and the whole mission had me grinning so hard the whole way through. My favorite part is easily the "Macho Man" Randy Savage flying elbow -- that [i]had[/i] to be put in the game as a tribute to him. In second is the brief part where you murder hordes of luchadores with a chainsaw to "You're the Best". Just amazing. In fact, [b]Saints Row: The Third[/b] has excellent use of music all around.

In eight years, I will be 34 years old. Good ******* god. I would rather not think about that right now.

Today I saved a den of prostitutes (while naked and drugged, I might add), busted up a Mexican wrestler's media smear campaign against my gang, and stole a jet packed with lasers and missiles and wreaked havoc against the fascist SWAT team called in to take me down. [b]Saints Row: The Third[/b] is the best game.

I've been playing [b]Saints Row: The Third[/b] recently. It's a lot of ridiculous fun, even though I am utter crap at vehicles. (I think I had to do the helicopter segment five times before I got it right, and it's not even that hard! I am just awful.) Still in the beginning portion where all the random money- and respect-earning segments are introduced, although the mission where I claimed by penthouse was awesome.

[img]http://i41.tinypic.com/2rp4a40.jpg[/img] Yes.